Cakes, and bands, and ribbons, oh my!

Danish Modern Cake
Photo: Kirsten Streckler via Cakepower.com

Cane Cake

photo: Kate Sullivan via Cakepower.com

More on the wedding front...
I cannot believe what amazing things people can do with cakes these days! Only a short time ago, when my sisters were getting married, we were all sooo excited about how spiffy a smooth fondant cake was! Now, it seems a cake is limited only by the imagination. My absolute favorite cakes are by Kate Sullivan of LovinSullivanCakes. I don't think I could put a knife anywherenear my cake if she were to make it! You will probably recognize her work as she is getting lots of well-deserved press these days. Her cakes are works of art! She doesn't only simply make wedding cakes, either! Check out her website even if you aren't planning any soirees at the moment. You won't be disappointed!
The other wedding source I must tell you about is the blog written by mother and daughter, Faye and Greer. I often find that I have fanatically torn out many of the same ideas from magazines, and they've introduced me to some great new resources. They posted about Lovin'SullivanCakes just yesterday. It seems the pair needed a way to converse over the miles as they planned the daughter's wedding-and the website was born! I love the concept and the way you get a little peek here and there of their sweet relationship. They seem to be truly inspired by a similar aesthetic and each other!

La Fille du Consul

I found this French artist via the ever wonderful Crust Station Blog. Delphine Roche, of Montgrand, France, inspired by wunderkammer or curiosity cabinets, creates exquisite handmade jewelry with polymer clay. I adore the cherry earrings and imagine myself looking very purty in the white coral necklace at my wedding! Visit her blog, La Fille du Consul for more! Click on "The Consul's Daughter" on the right for the translation.

Tara Donovan

I only recently discovered this Brooklyn artist's work via the internet. I would love to see the work of Tara Donovan in person. She creates the most impressive and interesting forms that are so simple yet other-worldly. They become even more so when you realize what they're made from. She uses everyday mundane items like tape, toothpicks, buttons, cups and straws. I am completely in awe! See more at these galleries: Ace Gallery and Pace Wildenstein.

Vintage Coloring Book Cards

I finally got on the gocco wagon! I have always wanted to screenprint and this easy little printing machine called a Gocco(pronounced like loco) allows me to finally be able to do so! I am offering a set of three cards of different designs I found in an old E-Z coloring book. They can be left alone or colored in-you decide! Click here to see more.

The Green Vase

I found a website today for an amazing floral designer and stylist via Oh, Joy!. The work of Livia Cette will probably be familiar to you as she is responsible for many of the arrangements in Martha Stewart Weddings and Anthropologie catalogs. Browse a sampling of her portfolio on her pretty website, The Green Vase. What a dream job!

Morning Glory!

Just in case you didn't know...I am getting married in October! I had the big idea that I was going to grow all the flowers for the wedding. That lasted about a month. First, I grew dozens of green and white zinnias and sunflowers from seed in starting pots all over the back porch. I also ordered a dozen or so dahlia bulbs, clematis and hydrangea starts from the fantastic Songsparrow company. I got excited, planted them all too early, and half of them froze and became a rotten mess. Oh, wait! Did I mention the clay soil?? It wasn't just a mix of clay, it was solid- throw it down on a wheel and make a pot- kind of heavy, heavy clay. I dug out a large deep rectangle, which appeared was going to be my own grave, to plant my cutting garden. I couldn't turn my head or bend the next day. After a few months of dedicated watering, my work started to pay off and the flowers began to flourish. The very next hour, a plague of biblical proportions rained down and began eating their way through my fledgling wedding crop. Everyday proved a battle between me and the Japanese Beetle. Nothing. No traps, sprays, nor my Uncle Ivan's never-fail Hungarian Pest-Rid Potion of garlic, soap and cayenne pepper curbed their insatiable appetites. The only thing to do was start grabbing them by the handfuls and pitch them into a bucket of soapy water. I must have murdered over a thousand in the last two months. Thankfully, I have noticed drastically fewer beetles over the past two weeks. So, what's left of my flowers? I'm able to produce a sweet little vase like this every week and I have enough to share with my neighbors! Now, if only some would last until October... Anyway. I now have much greater respect and empathy for farmers and gardeners, including my parents. I never had much interest in all the hot, hard work they were doing out there in the garden all summer long, but I sure did love to pick the flowers. (Sorry Dad!) Now I'm addicted. When I wake up in the morning I can't wait to get out there and see what's happened overnight. Today it was my first morning glory bloom!

Nathan Abels

I just got an email from a SCAD friend and one of my favorite painters, Nathan Abels. Nathan, an Indiana native, is now living in Colorado with his lovely new bride Lorna, and he currently has a show up at Sliding Door Gallery in Denver. You can see more of his work on his new website here. Nathan has an amazing range of artistic talent. I'm in awe of his process (he often develops his subject matter through photography), his incredible sense of design, and the arrestingly austere paintings that result. I'm equally as smitten with his collage paintings on antique photographs or his silhouettes. I found out while working at shopSCAD that Nathan already has many serious collectors. So, now is probably the time to get your fix while you still can!

"Purty like a lady bird"

Our country mourns the passing of a great lady, the original, Lady Bird. I often speak of "lady birds" in my work. For me, the name implies curiosity, industriousness, and a kind heart, which are also befitting descriptions for such a woman as was Lady Bird Johnson. She is best remembered for her campaigns for preserving our nation's natural beauty. The surprising wildflowers seen along busy highways are a constant reminder of her work. I have only recently started getting serious about my small patch of earth here at my home, but the effort has already rewarded me with bountiful flowers, giant bumblebees, and all kinds of unforseen benefits. Undoubtedly her influence touches all of us at some point. She certainly led the way for those of us who strive to incorporate nature's simple and restorative beauty in our daily lives. The proprietor of the blog, Housemartin comes to mind. I look forward to her posts everyday.